Visual Computing Seminar Schedule
Spring Semester, 2011
ABSTRACTS
OF
TALKS
Jan. 21 —
Brian Malloy, An Approach to Dynamic
Object Visualization in C++
Programs
This talk
presents an approach
to modeling and visualizing the dynamic
interactions among objects in a C++ application. We exploit UML
diagrams
to expressively visualize both the static and dynamic properties
of the application. We make use of a class diagram and call graph of
the application to select the parts of the application to be modeled,
thereby reducing the number of objects and methods under consideration
with a
concomitant reduction in the cognitive burden on the user of our
system. We use aspects to insert probes into the application to
enable profiling of the interactions of objects and methods and we
visualize these interactions by providing sequence and communication
diagrams for the parts of the program under study. We complement
our static selectors with dynamic selectors that enable the user
to further filter objects and methods from the sequence and
communication diagrams, further enhancing the cognitive economy of our
system. A key feature of our approach is the provision for
dynamic
interaction with both the profiler and the application. Interaction
with
the profiler enables filtering of methods and objects. Interaction with
the application enables the user to supply input to the application to
provide direction and enhance comprehension or debugging.
Bio: Brian Malloy is
an Associate Professor in Clemson
University's School of Computing. His research interests are in
software analysis, comprehension, visualization, testing, and
maintenance, as well as compiler technology, grammarware, front-end
construction and development. In addition he is well known at Clemson
for his teaching of 2D and 3D Video Game Development. His Ph.D. in
Computer Science is from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds
M.S. and M.Ed. degrees from Pittsburgh, and a B.A in Mathematics from
LaSalle.
Feb. 4 — Donald House, Mesh
Colors
Abstract: This seminar reports on a
2010 TOG paper by Cem Yuksel, John Keyser and Donald House. The
coloring of three dimensional models using two or three dimensional
texture mapping has well known intrinsic problems, such as mapping
discontinuities and limitations to model editing after coloring.
Workarounds for these problems often require adopting very complex
approaches. Here we propose a new technique, called mesh colors, for
associating color data directly with a polygonal mesh. The approach
eliminates problems deriving from using a map from texture space to
model space. Mesh colors is an extension of vertex colors where, in
addition to keeping color values on each vertex, they are also kept on
edges and faces. Like texture mapping, the approach allows higher
texture resolution than model resolution, but at the same time it
guarantees one-to-one correspondence between the model surface and the
color data, and eliminates discontinuities. We show that mesh colors
integrate well with the current graphics pipeline and can be used to
generate very high quality textures.
Bio: Donald House is
Professor and Chair of Visual Computing in Clemson
University's School of Computing. His specialites are in the broad
areas of computer graphics and visualization with focus on physical
simulation applied to animation, and on perceptual issues in
visualization. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from Union College,
his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer, and his Ph.D. in
Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst.
Feb. 11 —
Casey Johnson, Tony Liu, and Nick Kinerd, Production Focus on the
Making of Spider Fight
Abstract: This talk will cover the
production pipeline
as it pertains to the making of the short film, "Spider Fight."
Three members of the team behind the project will discuss it's
development starting from the initial story idea and concept art
through to the animation and rendering of the short. Emphasis
will be given to the topics of character development, rigging,
animation, and rendering.
Bios: Casey Johnson graduated from
Middle Tennessee
State University in 2000. He worked professionally in the fields
of corporate video, graphic design, and 3d before starting his MFA at
Clemson in the fall of 2009. He is currently a DPA student with a
projected graduation date of August, 2011. Tony Liu is a Computer
Science graduate of Clemson who started the DPA program in 2009, hoping
to use his Computer Science background with his art interests. Nick
Kinerd graduated with a B.S. in Graphic
Communications from Clemson University in 2007. With a special interest
in motion capture, animation and video games, he entered the MFA
program at Clemson in the fall of 2009
Feb. 25 —
Ryan Prestridge, Matias Volonte, Production
Focus
on
the
Making
of
LiFe
Abstract: LiFe is an animated short film
currently under production in the Digital Production Arts program, that
features cave dwelling creatures that feed on light. The animation is
about discovering that there is more to life than the routine. Ryan and
Matias will discuss the different methods being used to create the
film, and will reveal the production process that they are following.
Bios: Ryan Prestridge graduated from
Appalachian
State University with a BFA in sculpture. Matias Volonte holds a BS in
Audiovisual Communication from the Universidad Blas Pascal, in Cordoba,
Argentina. Both Ryan and Matias are second year students in the Digital
Production Arts MFA program.
March 4 —
Robert Geist, TEXNH Trees: A New Course in Data Structures
Abstract: The TEXNH method is an
approach to undergraduate computer science education
that is based on cognitive constructivisim, in the sense of Piaget, and
which
invokes several course design directives that include re-combining art
and science,
problem-based learning, problem selection from the visual problem
domain, and
cognitive apprenticeship. The paper describes a new texnh course in
data structures.
It includes a full comparative assessment of the realized improvement
in
student problem solving capability and, for the first time, cognitive
authenticity in problem selection, in that the course problem is a
variation on
a very recent research result.
Bio: Robert
Geist
is
a
Professor
in
the
Visual
Computing
division
of
the School of
Computing at Clemson. He received a B.A. in mathematics and an M.A. in
computer science from Duke University and an M.S. in mathematics and a
Ph.D. in mathematics
from the University of Notre Dame. He was an Assistant Professor and
Associate Professor of mathematics at the University of North Carolina
at Pembroke and an Assistant Professor and Associate Professor of
computer science at Duke University before joining the faculty at
Clemson. His current research is in computer graphics and includes
applications of cellular automata to modeling and rendering natural
phenomena and techniques for color gamut reduction in both image fusion
and image enhancement for color-deficient observers.
March
11
—
Brandon Pelfrey, Adaptive
Neighbor
Pairing
for
Smoothed
Particle Hydrodynamics,
with
Donald
House
Abstract: Smoothed
Particle
Hydrodynamics
(SPH)
is
a
method
for
fluid
simulation
by
using
particles
to represent discrete bits of volume. In calculating forces,
SPH requires each particle to find all other particles within a
neighborhood. Since this takes place each time step, it tends to
dominate the computation. We speed up this
process by reusing lists of particles over time steps. Using simple
rules that tell us when a particle must recalculate its neighborhood,
we are able to make an appreciable speed up in performance. Results are
shown for some simple 2D and 3D cases.
Bio: Brandon Pelfry is an
M.S.
student
in
Computer
Science
and
Clemson.
He
completed
his
B.A.
in
Computer
Science with a Minor in Mathematics at Clemson in 2010. He is
currently pursing research computer graphics.
April 1
—
Christopher Corsi,
Methods for Computing Tire/Track
Intersections, with Robert Geist, and James Mike Westall
Abstract: A problem that
arises naturally in the real-time
simulation of race car motion is the calculation of tire/track
intersection points, given track geometry, a wheel hub position, and a
wheel plane normal. The challenge arises from handling very large track
models, which may comprise millions of polygons, and still meeting
tight timing constraints, which require more than 5,000 lookups/second.
Three methods of solution are proposed, and the performance and
reliability of each is discussed.
Bio: Christopher Corsi is
a 2nd year
undergraduate computer science major in Clemson
University's School of Computing.
April 8
—
James Mike Westall,
High Performance Extraction of Telemetry Data from Online Video, with
Robert Geist, Christopher Corsi, Dennis Lingerfeld
Abstract: Consider a
computer application such as a flight simulator that might be used in
pilot training. The simulator displays digital and analog telemetry
data that is continually updated. Detailed analysis of this data can be
be useful in evaluating the performance of the trainee and comparing
the trainee's performance to that of an experienced pilot flying the
same exercise. A potential obstacle is that the simulator might not
support digital recording of the telemetry required for the analysis.
In that case, the task can be accomplished in a twostep process. First,
any one of a number of screen capture tools can be used to create a
video of the telemetry window at a specified frame rate. Then, the
recorded video is processed one frame at a time by a program that
analyzes the pixel data and performs automated character and analog
instrument recognition. We will describe a system of this general class
and its realworld application. In the target application, videos are
recorded at 10 frames per second and have a duration of approximately
three hours. Each frame of compressed video contains 14 numeric fields
and 2 analog gauges. Our system, which is presently purely serial and
unoptimized, can process the 108,000 frames of a three hour video in
170 seconds of real time. This corresponds to a rate of 635 frames per
second being read in, decompressed, converted from YUV to RGB and
processed. Approximately 60% of the elapsed time is consumed in the
processing phase. Approximately 4 million numerals are located,
segmented, and recognized in the course of processing the full video
Bio: James M. Westall received the
M.S. degree in Computer Science and the Ph.D. degree in Mathematics
from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a Professor
of Computer Science in the School of Computing at Clemson University.
His current research interests include measurement and modeling
of computer systems and networks, computer graphics, and
high-performance computing. In a previous life (1986-1997), he spent
eleven years as a consultant to the IBM
facility in Charlotte, NC. In this role, he was responsible for the
development of a major component of commercial system for
automated recognition of handwritten numerals on bank checks.
Yolanda Rankin, IBM
Research - Almaden, More than Just a
Game: Critical In-Game
Interactions that Facilitate Second Language Acquisition
Abstract: Unlike
recreational games, serious games do more than entertain the player.
Serious games promote acquisition of information and skills that are
valued in both the virtual world and the real world. Designing a
serious game requires a considerable amount of resources, including
time, money, and a talented development team. Even with these efforts,
it is possible to design a serious game that lacks the element of fun.
Rather than designing a serious game from scratch, we re-purpose the
commercial Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG)
EverQuest® II as a serious game, leveraging the entertainment value
and readily available development tools to promote learning in the
context of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). First, we identify the
affordances attributed to MMORPGs and evaluate the impact of gameplay
experiences on students’ SLA. Promising results from experimental
studies reveal that in-game social interactions in the target language
between native speakers and non native speakers increase second
language vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension skills
compared to traditional classroom instruction. Finally, we develop
ClockWerk©, a temporal visualization tool that graphically depicts
dominant communication patterns of linguistically diverse groups of
players during gameplay, enabling us to gauge their impact on SLA.
Bio:
Yolanda
A. Rankin, Ph.D., is Research Scientist at IBM
Research Almaden in
San Jose, CA. Her research utilizes
social
interactions
as
the motivation for design guidelines for user
interfaces in a
variety of contexts, including video games for second language
acquisition,
virtual environments as an alternative self service platform for
customer
support, and methodology and supporting tools to assist service
delivery organizations
with understanding and evaluating the customer experience as a method
for improving
service quality. Yolanda has accumulated more
than eight years
experience in industry as a software engineer at Lucent
Technologies-Bell Labs and
as a senior program manager at Luxcore Networks. She has received
numerous
honors and awards, including the National Science Foundation Graduate
Research
Fellowship, Northwestern University Graduate School Fellowship,
Alliance of
Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Scholarship among
others. Yolanda completed her Ph.D. in Computer
Science at Northwestern University, a M.A. in Computer Science at Kent
State
University and her B.S. in Mathematics at Tougaloo College.
Cem
Yuksel,
Cornell University, Developing
Efficient
Graphics Technologies for
Physically-based Modeling
Abstract: As we try to build virtual
representations for more and more complicated
environments in graphics, computational efficiency often becomes the
determining factor in how useful a particular graphics technique is in
practice. In this talk I will present my approach for developing
efficient
graphics technologies, which consists of three steps: visual analysis
of the
subject physical phenomenon, understanding of the physical models that
describe
the phenomenon, and devising algorithms that fit well to the target
computer
hardware. The visual analysis helps separate the phenomenon into its
visual
components and identify which one of these components have
deterministic behavior,
while understanding the physical models makes it possible to propose
simpler
models that properly approximate the important visual components.
Finally,
efficient algorithms can be developed for simplified physical models
considering the architectural strengths of the desired computer
hardware. I will explain how this approach helped in developing
efficient technologies by
presenting two separate research topics as examples: water simulation
and
realistic hair rendering. For water simulation I will talk about the
wave
particles method for real-time simulation of water surface waves. The
wave
particles method can achieve about 6 orders of magnitude speed up as
compared
to the most efficient full fluid simulations in graphics. As a result,
scenes
with very high complexity can be simulated with high frame rates. As
for hair
rendering, I will present the dual scattering method for approximating
multiple
scattering of light in human hair. Multiple scattering plays a crucial
role in
defining the perceived color of hair and a physically based computation
of
multiple scattering is important for generating realistic hair images.
While
previous methods required hours to compute multiple scattering for a
single
hair image, the dual scattering method can properly approximate the
same
computation at real-time frame rates with high visual accuracy.
Bio: Cem Yuksel is a
postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University and the founder of
Cyber Radiance LLC. He received his PhD in Computer Science from Texas
A&M
University in 2010. His research covers a wide range of topics in
computer
graphics, starting from physically based simulation to realistic image
synthesis. His research on real-time water simulation, hair rendering,
and
texture mapping has received strong interest from many companies in the
graphics industry. Furthermore, he designed and programmed Hair Farm, a
leading
hair software plugin for 3ds Max, used by many production studios and
individual artists. He has a BS in Physics and MS in Computer
Engineering from
Bogazici University in Turkey. He also studied in the Visualization
Program at
Texas A&M University, and Visual Arts and Communication Design at
Sabanci
University in Turkey.